The Ashwaubenon School District believes that children’s early development and school readiness impact their later learning success. Research on child development strongly emphasizes the critical importance of early (birth to age five) learning and language experiences on brain development and future success in school and life.

The Ashwaubenon School District believes that all families should have equitable access to high quality early learning experiences for their four-year-old children outside of the home. Many excellent private and parochial preschool options currently exist within the district, but some families cannot access these programs due to financial constraints, transportation issues, or other factors. A voluntary four-year-old preschool program supported by available state funding widens accessibility to all families. The collaborative community-based model allows us to partner with the existing expertise, experience, and facilities of private providers to ensure a variety of choices for parents.
 

VISION OF THE ASHWAUBENON SCHOOL DISTRICT...

MISSION OF THE ASHWAUBENON SCHOOL DISTRICT...

MISSION OF CORMIER EARLY LEARNING CENTER, a premier education center…

For the 2008-09 school year, we are estimating that there will be 100 resident four-year-olds in

Ashwaubenon. Other districts have reported that their 4K program enrollment is approximately

70% of their kindergarten enrollment for the first years of the program and gradually expands to be

very close to their 5K enrollment percent. For planning purposes we anticipate about 70 students

will enroll in A4K for the first year (2008-2009). Non-resident students are only eligible for A4K

through open enrollment if their resident district has a 4K program. As area districts implement 4K

programs open enrollment in A4K will become an option to non-residents.
 

We now know that the vast majority of brain development takes place in the earliest years of a

child’s life, and that the first five years lay the foundation for all future social, emotional, and

cognitive development. Research on early brain development indicates that from age three to five,

the part of the child’s brain responsible for planning and organizing, motor control, control of

emotions, and attention to tasks is growing rapidly. Preschool children who are read to frequently

and have a rich variety of opportunities to interact with others and their environment develop the

skills that will be needed at school age. The preschool child’s brain is not only ready, but “hardwired”

to learn at an amazing rate given appropriate, activity-based learning opportunities.
 

A collaborative community-based 4K model provides universal (all children are eligible)

accessibility for families plus additional financial supports for existing preschool programs. While

parents and families are the child’s first and foremost teacher, every family’s resources and

preparation for this important role are different.

The community shares a responsibility and a vested interest in ensuring all children’s well-being

and development. Long-term studies, including those by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota,

have demonstrated that investments in quality preschool programs have a public return on

investment as high as 12 percent. Children who participate in early childhood programs have lower

rates of teen pregnancy, decreased delinquency, and higher rates of employment. According to a

12/06/07 article in the Press Gazette, “Two-thirds of Wisconsin’s school districts offer 4-year-old

kindergarten, up about 10 percent from last year [2006] and 70 percent in seven years... ” As

Ashwaubenon seeks to attract new young families, A4K offers positive early educational

opportunities. An investment in 4K is an investment in a community’s long term economic health.
 

Wisconsin’s school funding system provides funding for 4K programs based on the number of

students enrolled. Each student will generate a set amount of additional state aid for the district. It

is anticipated that by year three of operation, A4K will generate revenue limit room to fund the

program in its entirety, exceeding the expenditures.
 

There is no tuition for district-sponsored 4K programming regardless of where it is offered. While

their may be incidental costs for school supplies or field trips, the district will work with families who

cannot afford these expenses. No partner site can charge a fee for the 4K portion of their

program. Private sites will still charge parents for additional services such as extended childcare,

enrichment opportunities, or field trips (before and after the hours of the 4K program).
 

All Ashwaubenon childcare providers and preschools were invited to an informational meeting and

were given an application to become a partnering site. Applications were due January 4, 2008.

District administration will review the applications and make a recommendation to the Board.

Some of the criteria they will consider include:

· Meet applicable current state license requirements in State of Wisconsin Department of

Health and Family Services (DHFS) 45 or 46 Day Care Licensing Rules and have no

violations that required enforcement action within the last year.

· Meet Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requirements for four-year-old

kindergarten.

· Collaborate with the district to meet DPI teacher certification requirements. Copies of

teacher license(s) will be provided to the district.

· Collaborate with the district to provide opportunities for parent involvement. (DPI requires

outreach activities of a minimum of 87.5 hours with the primary caregivers of students.)

· Adopt and implement curriculum and assessment materials as determined by the school

district.

· Conduct and document parent-teacher conferences and/or home visits.

· Actively participate in A4K meetings and professional development opportunities.

· Participate in site review as part of continuous improvement process.

· Provide adequate classroom space. The Wisconsin Department of Commerce specifies

35 square feet per occupant of open floor space assuming a self-contained classroom.

This number is specified for safety reasons only and does not indicate that this is the

optimal room size for educational purposes. Classrooms used for A4K need to be large

enough to allow for several play/activity areas, individual child work areas, and as an area

for large group activities.
 

Partner sites will comply with DHFS licensing regulations in regard to ADA requirements. The

school district will ensure that there are sites available in the district to meet the special needs of

all children including those with physical limitations. For example, while every site may not be

wheelchair accessible, an accessible A4K classroom will be available somewhere in the district.
 

There are no state regulations directing the teacher-child ratio for four-year-old kindergarten. DPI

encourages school districts to consider the 1:15 ratio recommended by the Student Achievement

Guarantee in Education (SAGE) class size reduction program and early childhood special

education inclusion models. Accordingly, if the school district is providing the teacher, plans are

for 12-15 students with one teacher and 16-22 students with a teacher and an assistant. At a

partner site with their own licensed teacher, the site will determine staffing levels in alignment with

their licensing requirements. Partner sites with childcare licenses will follow licensing guidelines

which require one licensed adult for every 13 students. In addition, if the partner site provides the

teacher, there may be some flexibility in minimum student numbers.
 

Yes, partner sites can continue their other programs, however, during the hours of their A4K

program, partner sites will comply with A4K guidelines.
 

Every resident student will have the opportunity to be transported to one of the A4K sites. When

working with partner sites, transportation will be limited to just before and after A4K program

hours.
 

Cormier School and Early Learning Center. Community sites are yet to be determined.
 

No, four-year-olds as a group are very different developmentally than five-year-olds and using

“watered down” five-year-old kindergarten program for four-year-olds is inappropriate and

ineffective. As an early learning program, instruction for four-year-olds will include early literacy

(reading and language) and number skills. Instruction will be provided in an activity-based manner

emphasizing discovery, exploring, and experimenting. Social and emotional skills physical skills,

health, science, art, and music will also be part of the curriculum. Each day will offer varied

opportunities for the child, including, but not limited to, large group circle time, story time, center

time, small and large motor play, art, music, recess, and field trips (DPI).
 

Teachers in four-year-old kindergarten must hold a DPI kindergarten license (e.g., #090, PK-K;

#083,PK-3; #106, K-6, etc.), preferably the early childhood, pre-kindergarten-grade 3 (#083). With

the current emphasis on inclusion of children with disabilities in regular education programs, many

districts will be interested in teachers who hold dual certification in early childhood regular

education and early childhood special education (#808 or #809). Persons completing early

childhood level programs after 8/31/2004 will be issued a license as Early Childhood Level (birth

through age 8) teachers under new rules in Chapter PI 34.
 

Children must be four on or before September 1st to enroll. Early entrance will not be allowed in

A4K. A4K is not a two year program.
 

As an early education program, instruction in four-year-old kindergarten must address reading and

language arts first and foremost but also must include mathematics, social studies, science,

health, social skills, physical education, art and music. Obviously, the use of an integrated

curriculum, thematic approaches, and learning centers makes tremendous sense, because young

children learn by doing, exploring, and experimenting. The required areas (language, math,

music, etc.) should be built into the integrated approaches.

Curriculum and assessments are locally determined and should be based on best practice. Best

practice for children four and five years of age suggest curriculum be developmentally appropriate

with children actively engaged in a variety of learning approaches. Again, the required subjects do

not need to be taught as separate subjects using a teacher-driven curriculum. The general

breakdown of the day should include some direct instruction, a large number of experiential

“hands-on” activities, and an opportunity for child-initiated play (DPI).

Any curriculum and assessment that is developed will be aligned with the Wisconsin Model Early

Learning Standards (WMELS).
 

A4K is open to all age-eligible children regardless of ability level. Special needs will be addressed

on an individual basis to determine the most appropriate placement for the child.
 

A4K will identify student progress indicators based on WMELS. Assessment will be ongoing;

however, student growth will be monitored against benchmarks throughout the year. This will allow

for more effective differentiation, individualization, and parent support.
 

According to DHFS, four-year-old partnerships can occur with religious-based schools and child

care centers with certain assurances. A district must ensure that no religious programming is

going on during the “4K” part of the day. If partner sites choose to offer religious instruction before

or after the hours of the 4K program, they may do so in a separate location from the 4K classroom.

Staff and parents must understand that this instruction is separate from and not affiliated in any

way with the 4K program.
 

A 4K program must have 437 instructional hours and 87.5 hours of parent involvement

opportunities per year to meet DPI requirements. The district is planning for a 5 day program that

would consist of 2 hours and 40 minutes a day. A morning session (8:00-10:40) would include

breakfast and an afternoon session (12:00-2:40) would include lunch. There will be no A4K on

district half-days or in the event we would schedule an early release.
 

A4K will be assessed annually with formal (Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale) and

informal (parent surveys) measurements.
 

The A4K committee will work with the community collaborating partners to establish a registration

process. It is anticipated that following a community meeting introducing the program to parents of

pre-schoolers, registration will take place in February.
 

Non-partner sites, in-home providers, and parents who choose to keep their children at home will

be invited to participate in all A4K parent outreach activities. Parent resource centers will be open

to all parents. Parent resources and activity packets will be posted on the school district website so

that parents also can use the curriculum.
 

A4K recognizes that parents are partners in the educational process and that parents have both

the right and the responsibility to share in decisions about their child’s education and

development.The A4K staff will plan numerous parent outreach activities. Outreach activities are

intended to support, nurture and instruct parents in their role as the primary educator of their

children. Some examples of outreach activities include: orientation activities the summer before

the 4K program begins; general communications (phone calls, newsletters, etc.); special

classroom events; evening family fun nights; pot luck dinners/meetings; parenting classes;

classroom involvement training; parent-governance activities; extended family and

intergenerational component; and transition to five-year-old kindergarten. Child care will be

provided when possible to make it easier for parents to be involved. In addition, each family will

be given multiple opportunities to volunteer in their child’s classroom. Each partner site may

identify other parent volunteer requirements at their individual site.
 

Site assignments will take into account established bus routes, class size, and a child’s daycare

placement. If parents prefer an alternate site and space is available, parents will be responsible

for transportation.
 

Behavior and related policies are currently being developed by the Leadership sub-committee.